Billiard-cue



(ModeL) W. ZAEHRINGER.

BILLIARD QUE.

NO. 286,670. I Patented 0011.16, 1883.

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NITED .TAT'ES \VILLIAM Z AEHRINGER, OF

NEW ORLEAXS, LOUISIANA.

BlLLlARD-CUE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 286,670, dated October 16, 188?,

Application filed January 2, 1883. (ModeL) To all whom it .may concern:

Be it known that I, WM. ZAEHRINGER, a a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in BilliardCues; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and correct description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming part of this specification.

The object of my invention is, first, to provide a billiard-cue that will, owing to its peculiar construction. enable a novice to make with facility what is known in billiard parlance as the draw shot, which is a most important and very difficult shot often presenting itself in the game; second, a billiard-cue to facilitate the execution of whatis known as the massshoty third, a billiardmue the use of which. will lessen the danger of tearing the cloth when attempting the shots referred to; fourth, a billiard-cue adapted to the execution of all other shots presenting themselves in a game, with as much or'more facility than is possible with the ordinary one.

To accomplish these ends, I have invented a simple and reliable billiard-cue, specially calculated to deliver a free and elastic stroke to the cue-ball, thereby communicating to it the necessary retrograde movement. Before going into details of its construction, it is necessary for a proper comprehension of the principle to point out why a large proportion of players fail in the endeavor to make a draw shot. Having studied this problem, I am prepared to say that the fault is committed by the player in holding or grasping the cue too tight, instead of holding it loosely, as does the successful expert. It is a-noted fact that a large proportion of billiard-players, with years of experience, have not yet mastered the draw shot, owing solely to the error point- ;ed out above; therefore, I have invented a bilhard-cue which a player may hold loose or tight, as he pleases, without spoiling the elas ticity of the stroke, hence communicating to the cue-ball the necessary retrograde movement.

Figure 1 is an interior view of the oscillating handle, showing the butt-end of a billiardcue, shaped-to form a shank with a collar, upon which shank are two sliding collars, each provided internally with a spring and button, said collars being secured to the interior-of the oscillating handle, and h. ving hooks to which are secured elastic bands: also a special hook on the forward collar of the handle, and

a similar one on the collar of the shank. Fig. 2 shows the recoil of the shank and one in the handle, through the collars of the same; also the elongation and contraction of the elastic bands Fig. 3, the p osition of the handle, collars, shank, elastic bands and hooks, when the clastic movement of thehandle is suspended; Fig. 4, the form of hook on the forward collar of handle, andon the collar of the shank; Fig. 5, the form of hooks on the collar of shank; Fig. 6, the form of hooks on collars of the handle, and Fig. 7 the form of spiral spring and button.

In Fig. 1, C is a partial view of an ordinary billiard-cue, with a shank, G, at the buttend.

H is a cylinder of suitable thickness, forming an oscillating handle, made of guttapercha or other material.-

I) and R are two collars, which fit loosely to I play upon the shank G, and are secured to the cylinder H by means of screws, or otherwise.

A is a collar, forming part of shank G.

pa is an elastic band, one end of which being fastened to the hook (I. on collar D, the other end being fastened to hook c 011 collar A. o is a similar band, fastened to hook I) on collar D, and hook d on collar A. w is a similar band, fastend to hook at on collar 1%, and hook eon collar A. z is a similar band, fastened to hookw on collar R, and hook r on collar A. These four elastic bands are all at a tension sufficient to keep the handle H in the position indicated until a stroke is made.

lVe will now suppose that a player desires to execute a draw-shot. Everything being ready, he grasps the handle H, and resting the one in proper position upon the bridge hand, he moves it back and forth preparatory to delivering the stroke, when, the instant the stroke is given to the cue-ball, (below its center,) the handle H, held firmly by the hand, will compel the cue to recoil through it, as shown in Fig. 2, elongating-bands n and 0, and contracting bands .r and 2, thus giving a free and elastic stroke to the cuc-ball, and communicating to it the proper retrograde movement necessary for a draw-shot. Immediately after the stroke is given, the now elongated bands a and 0 will again contract, replacing the handle II, as indicated in Fig. 1.

In using this cue, it may be desired by the player, when about to execute a follow era a spread shot, to convert it into an ordinary or solid cue, as it. were. This is instantly accomplished, as shown in Fig. 3, by pulling the cue outward from the handle H, thus forcing the hook it 011 collar D, to lock with hook e on collar A. The handle, so fastened, will remain stationary in playing, and consequently the one is transformed into an ordinary one,

but can be instantly reset for draw shots, at;

the option of the player.

Anticipating some objection to the lateral playof the shank G, in collars D and It of the handle H, I provide each of said collars with a'button, s, and a spring, 1, (shown by a sectional view of the collar It, in Fig. 1.) This button (or several) being forced against the shankG'by the springl will effectually 'rcmedy this evil.

It may be preferable, for durability, to use ordinary metallic closed spiral springs instead of the elastic bands shown in the drawings,

V emcee Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. In combination with a billiard-cue, G, a fixed shank, G, with a collar, A, sliding collars l) .and R, secured to and forming part of handle H, said collars being provided with hooks c, e, d, r, (1,1), and u 40, forsecuring the ends of elastic bands at, 0, m, and z, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the hook ton. collar D of handle H, with hook'v on collar Aof shank G, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with the sliding .collarR (and D) of handle H, spring I, and button 8, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

- In testi mon y whereof Ihavehereunto signed llly 1181116.

XVM. ZAEHRINGER. 

